Lately, I’ve found myself paying a little more attention to the radio weather forecasts and wondering if we will get caught up in a path of destruction like our friends and neighbors in small midwestern towns.

You know, it’s kind of a helpless feeling, any time a tornado watch and warning are issued here.

We don’t have storm shelters in our basement like folks in Kansas where Dorothy and Toto lived.

A recent report said that a town there was nearly wiped off the map by a violent storm.

There was a time in Lancaster when filling stations were on just about every corner.We were served by Esso, Pure Oil, Gulf, Spur, Shell and Amoco oil companies through local distributors. Gas was about 25 cents a gallon for regular grade and “high-test” cost about three pennies more.

A former classmate is curious about a previous “Remember When” column that chronicles the adventures of some Lancaster boys who erected steel power transmission towers across the rugged mountainous sections of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

I’ve searched my records high and low, but I just can’t a copy of it for her.

Not to be outdone, here’s a few details about those long ago days that will hopefully answer her questions.

These days, we don't do very much advanced planning for an automobile trip. The Evanses just jump in the car and go.

But, if the destination is new, we get out a road atlas or let the computer map it out for us in great detail.

As a youngster, I didn't get to tag along on very many road adventures. Places like Ridgeway, Winnsboro or Charlotte were just about the only places of interest we visited. Those trips were mostly to shop for seasonal clothing or to check on relatives.

Last February, I turned 12 years old and as a result, I joined the Boy Scouts.

I was growing up and I was lucky in more ways than one. Talk about a dream come true –Momma just about cleaned out the "Official Boy Scout Headquarters" equipment section inside Robinson-Cloud's clothing store on Main Street to get me the latest in Scout accoutrements.

I was really amazed by all that stuff.

I had been hankering for Boy Scout gear ever since I was a Cub Scout in Mrs. Ellie Pipkin's Cub Scout Pack, where she was our den mother.